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State recovered more than $33 million in Medicaid fraud in 2013

Posted on Aug. 22nd, 2013

Special to The Olathe Edge

TOPEKA, KAN. – The Kansas attorney general’s office recovered more than $33 million in taxpayer funds through its Medicaid fraud enforcement last fiscal year, setting a new one-year record for recoveries, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.

“We take seriously our responsibility to ensure that every dollar spent by the Kansas Medicaid program is used to provide legitimate services to Kansans in need,” Schmidt said. “We are committed to vigorously prosecuting those who defraud the taxpayers and to recovering misspent funds from providers who are not entitled to keep them.”

During state fiscal year 2013, which ended June 30, the Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division in Schmidt’s office recovered more than $33.7 million on behalf of taxpayers. The recoveries were reported in the division’s annual report, filed earlier this month with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report is available online at www.ag.ks.gov.

Prior to last year, the highest dollar amount of recoveries in a single year was $28 million in fiscal year 2011.

During 2013, the attorney general’s office prosecuted 14 criminal cases of Medicaid Fraud, resulting in $2.3 million in ordered restitution. The office also recovered $16.3 million as a result of civil judgments in favor of the state, and $15.1 million as a result of participation in national settlements.

The Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division is led by Deputy Attorney General Loren Snell, who served this past year as president of the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.